Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada headed by Ahmed Hussen recently eased permanent residency rules for international students. The government expects to see a 40 percent hike in foreign-born students applying for Canadian permanent residency through the Express Entry program, which was started in 2015 by Justin Trudeau and his administration. The announcement comes only days after US government tightened F1 or student visa rules. IRCC changed the comprehensive ranking system that is used to determine if a candidate qualifies for permanent residency or not. The Canadian government has further decreased the points given if the candidate has secured a job from a Canadian employer.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada conducted surveys before making the changes. As of now, 30 percent of all candidates who receive permanent residency are students. The Canadian government also announced that the changes will be effective soon. Also, students who have completed post-secondary education in Canada will be awarded extra points. US administration’s new rules with becoming effective from August 9, 2018, onward. The new rule says that the US government will count a student’s overstaying days soon after his student visa ends and not when an immigration official finds that he is staying illegally in the country.

Other study destinations abroad

Punishment ranges from three months ban to one year ban to a lifetime ban from entering the United States. Another rule that USCIS recently implemented was that Chinese students can renew their visa every five years and not every year. The rule is already showing its effects as many Chinese students are opting for other study destinations abroad including Canada and Australia.

A number of international students studying in the United States are on a decrease, but overall number has increased greatly. Foreign-born now prefer to study in Canada, where the cost of education for the same quality is at least 40 percent cheaper than in the United States, and you get permanent residency in just a year and don’t need to wait for 15 years or more.